FARC denies kidnapping tourists

international | anti-capitalism | news report Thursday September 18, 2003 14:02 by Rapper Tandy

News For Joe Ranii

Colombia's Communist rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), issued a communique late Tuesday denying any responsibility in the kidnapping of eight overseas tourists.

FARC denies kidnapping tourists


Colombia's Communist rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), issued a communique late Tuesday denying any responsibility in the kidnapping of eight overseas tourists.

The two Britons, four Israelis, a German and a Spaniard were abducted before dawn Friday in Indian ruins known as the Lost City known as "Ciudad Perdida" in Spanish -- in the Tayrona national park, in the Sierra Nevada mountains on Colombia's Caribbean coast.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the abduction but Colombian authorities immediately blamed FARC guerrillas and launched a huge search and rescue operation.

The hunt is drawing on the firepower of some 1,500 soldiers and police, including jungle-trained commandos and elite anti-kidnap squads, as well as nine helicopter gunships.

In its three-point communique FARC denied any involvement in the snatch. They blamed the incident on Colombia's military intelligence, accusing the army of wanting to stage a phony rescue operation in order to give the impression they were winning the country's long-running war against the rebels.

FARC also said the kidnap and rescue operation was an attempt to divert international attention away from President Alvaro Uribe's recent verbal attacks on some independent human rights groups. Over the last 10 days the president has twice accused some rights groups of being "terrorist mouthpieces," sparking outrage fro some international organizations.